The weather has been so nice out lately and a green healthy chilled soup was exactly what I needed to finish off the weekend! This recipe is incredibly easy and is the perfect amount of cool, fresh and crisp. It’s a nice way to end a warm day (or start the day!)…It even becomes a nice healthy portable lunch if you put it in a mason jar and top with some nuts & beans. So basically you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner in 5 minutes, really?!…

I’ve been seeing poblano’s everywhere lately and while I have never cooked with them before, something about them just drew me in! I made a stuffed poblano recipe that needs a little work before it goes on this site and then followed it up with this recipe.

It takes a little work but Scott and I ate this every night for about 4 nights because it makes enough to serve 8. So, on an evening or an afternoon where you have some time, whip this up and enjoy it for the week or freeze and reheat at a later time. We surely were not sick of it by night 4……

I was so excited to head to the farmer’s market last Sunday! With the holidays and our trip to Costa Rica, it has been a long time since I was there and I couldn’t wait to see what was fresh and new. I always go to the farmer’s market looking to get my veggies to roast for the week but I generally also go knowing that lunch is on the horizon so I look for inspiration from what is available to create a new meal. I’ve made recipes like my Pea Salad and Green Panzanella this way.

I have made many different types of hummus but on the cleanse I just did (recap to come later this week), we had to eliminate all night shades so I had to say bye bye to my babaganoush, which is one of my very favorites!

There were also food combining rules I had to abide by so I was excited to find a hummus that did not include beans or eggplant. My daily salads are just not complete without a nice dallop of hummus on top :).

This recipe came from The Conscious Cleanse recipe book and along with my parsnip chips, it really helped me get through the cleanse. The chips are even great to dip in the hummus! For those with a bean aversion, fear no more, this zucchini hummus tastes just like the real stuff. And while calories are not a focus here at FLB, given that you replace the beans that are found in a traditional hummus with a veggie, this is a lot lower in calories so you can feel free to snack away.

I made this last week and was honestly SO excited about it! It is one of those dishes that really feels like it should be unhealthy when you are eating it …but then I realized the only thing in it, other than vegetables, is a small amount of greek yogurt. Seriously, can’t go wrong with that!

I also think this would be great for people (or children) who generally don’t like spaghetti squash because the way it is baked makes the texture a bit different. I cannot wait to make it again :)!

I made this dish for Scott and I a few weeks back and we loved it. This week we were bringing dinner to a friend and his wife and I had to come up with something I could cook earlier in the day and then reheat as I was coming straight from the studio and this was the first thing that popped into my mind. This dish can easily be made earlier or even the night before and then just reheated prior to serving as it allows the flavors to really soak in. A few of the comments I got that night included: “This is exactly what they serve in Morocco” & “This might be the best dinner ever”, so I would say it was a success. I got this from the fabulous Kris Carr and her amazing book Crazy, Sexy Kitchen, but modified a bit to fit my tastes.

In a large heavy-bottom shallow pot or deep skillet [cast iron works best] on medium heat, add oil, onions, and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and golden, stirring continuously for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the spices, tomato paste, vegetable stock, carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnip. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Cooking time may vary based on the thickness of chopped veggies.

When the root veggies are tender, add the bell pepper, chickpeas, artichokes, and raisins. Continue simmering for about 5 to 8 minutes. Liquid should be reduced and thicker at this point.

Add parsley, cilantro, mint and sea salt, folding in all of the herbs. Cover and remove from the heat. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Garnish with lemon zest, red sliced chili and any leftover parsley, cilantro or mint if desired.

I made this tonight and it was divine. It is a soupy curry dish that is quite easy to prepare. While roti is traditional thing to serve with this, whole wheat tortillas or pitas are great accompaniments for sopping up the liquid. You can also saute up beans and spinach and serve over that too for a gluten free version.